The Imbabura Province around Ibarra, the White City, is an area I hope to explore more deeply. We have visited for the famous Cacería del Zorro, a horse race named for the English practice of hunting foxes with a unique twist all its own. We have watched the grand parade that takes place along the city streets of Ibarra on the morning of the race. This single event is a great way to get to know the culture of Ibarra because it shows the blending of cultures that so define the area. There are grand horses and riders, in European-style riding gear, and small ponies mounted by chagras, local cowboys. The parade includes the youngest citizens, often toddlers sitting on the saddles in front of their parents, and the oldest, proudly smiling while astride their lovely horses. Everyone wears their finest gear, whether it is the latest polo shirt of their club, the traje típico of their native culture, or fine dresses and long coats of old.
On these visits, we have walked around the city center eating helado de paila, an ice cream dish sometimes compared to American sherbert. We have explored the church, the central plaza, and some of the smaller shops dotting the center of town.
I have a wish list of places and events I still want to see like the Paseo del Chagra which takes place in May every year. The small community of Zuleta is famous for its embroidery and the road to take us there lies just outside Ibarra. There are high mountain lakes, hiking trails galore, and a hacienda or two that just beg for our attention. If you have a favorite place in Ibarra that you would like us to see, please let us know in the comments below!
We know these photos barely scratch the surface of this beautiful province.
Click on any photo to open a slideshow with further descriptions of each photo.
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- Helado de Paila is a popular ice cream desert made in the Sierra of Ecuador.
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- The central plaza of the White City is often full of locals sitting on park benches.
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- There are many Zorros for the different races that take place at the Cacería del Zorro.
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- A young rider wears the traje típico of the chagra, an Ibarran cowboy.
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- Even the bands were on horseback.
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- Even the horses are decked out in their best clothes for the Cacería del Zorro Parade
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- This young lady couldn’t wave enough to her mother who was watching from the crowd.
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- This is the famous Imbabura, a volcano that dominates the countryside of the province.
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- After a hot afternoon of watching early races, the crowd is more than ready for the finale.
More Articles about the Imbabura Province, Ibarra
If you would like to read more about the Imbabura Province, near Ibarra, check out these articles:
Ecuador Por Mis Ojos
Recently, the Instituto Geografico Militar of Ecuador and I released a book of photography, Ecuador Por Mis Ojos. This post shares photos from that book.
If you would like to see other photos from the book, please check out:
